Specific-gravity grading apparatus.



E. K. HOOD, W. J. CAMPBELL 6L C. BRADFGRD.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY GRADING APPARATUS.

APPucATloN FILED 1111111. 29. 1909.

1, 175,763. Patented Mar. 14,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l- E. K. HOOD, W. 1. CAMPBELL SL'C. BRADFORD.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY GRADING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1909.

1,175,763. Patend Mar. 14,1916.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i 74,9 JZ 47 .Y l 94 THE CDLuMmA PLANOURAPH co.. WAsmNG'mN. D. e.

E. K. HOOD, W. I. CAIVIPBLL & C. BRADFORD.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY GRADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. 1909. l 1,175,763. Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E. K. HOOD, W. I. CAMPBELL & C. BRADFURD.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY GRADING APPARATUS.

APPucATloN FlLED MAR. 29, |909.

1, 175,763. I Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Tm: coLumm/I PLANomzApu un., WASUING'I'QN. D. c.

' prvrrnn sfrarns rnranr ernten.

ERNEST HOOD, WILLIAM J. CAMPBELL, AND CHESTER BRADFORD, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

SPECIFIC-GRAVITY GRADING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 29, 1909.

To all whom 1' t may concern Be it known that we, ERNEST K. HOOD, WILLIAM J. CAMPBELL, and CHns'riiRl BRAD- roRD, citizens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Specific-Graw ity Grading Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

In preparing peas for packing it is highly desirable to separate them into grades as respects quality. This can be done by delivering them into a tank containing a fluid of the proper specific gravity, such as brine, in which the harder and heavier peas will sink, while the softer and lighter ones will float.

Qur object is to provide a convenient and efiicient mechanism for separating the two grades of peas or other' goods of dierent specific gravities in such a tank.

AnV apparatus embodying our present invention is'illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus of the character in question; Fig-2 a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 a top or plan view; Fig. l: a side elevation. the side of the tank however being broken away to show the mechanism therein; Fig. 5 a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of so much of the apparatus as includes theshorter of the two elevators and immediately 'adjacent parts; Fig. 6 a view partially in side elevation and partially in central section of one of the elevator buckets, and fragments of theelevator chains and guiding track therefor; Fig. 7 an end elevation also partly in section of one of said buckets; Fig. 8 a detail horizontal sectional view as seen when looking downwardly from the broken line 8 8 in Fig. 9; Fig. 9 a detail vertical sectional view as seen when looking in the direction indicated by the arrows from the broken line 9 9 in Fig. 10; Fig. 10 a view. as seen when looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows from the brokenA lines 1010 in Figs. 8 and 9; Fig. 11 a detail sectional view of thD guiding track coupling, similar to a portion of Fig. 10 but on a larger scale; Fig. 12 a detail plan view of a fragment of one oil the arms carrying the propelling blades or wings; Fig. 13 a fragmentary elevation of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. ia, reis.

Serial No. 486,527.

the same, and Fig. 14 a fragmentary detail similar to a portion of Fig. et but on an enlarged scale.

The tank 21 is in greater part substantially a vertically-positioned cylinder, having a closed bottom 22 and an open upper end, and is of a size sufficient to handle the required amount of peas being treated. 1We consider a convenient size to be about seven feet in diameter and five feet in height. At one side, this tank is continued beyond the cylinder outline to provide gathering spaces into which the separated peas are conducted, and from whence they are removed by the two elevating systems provided for the purposes, as will be presently more fully described. Above the bottom 22 of the tank is an inclined perforate false bottom 23, down which the peas which sink through the brine will roll to a point adjacent to the lower end of the longer of the two elevators. T he upper edge of this false bottom is secured to the peripheral wall of the tank, at a point ust below the revolving wings (presently to be described) and tapers thence toward the position occupied by the bottom of said longer elevator-,the tapering being thus both from the rear of the tank toward the front, and from the side of the tank occupied by the short elevator toward the side occupied by thel long elevator. The upper edge of this false bottom is carried by a ledge 20 (preferably formed of angle iron) secured to the internal surface of the wall of the tank 21, and suitable supporting bars 2a run therefrom at the proper inclination across the tank to its bottom at or near the point at which the heavy peas are to be delivered. If anv dirt gets into the brine with the peas, it will pass through the perforations in this false bottom, and can then be drawn olf through a blow-od pipef25 by opening its valve 2G. Just at the place where the long elevator comes there is a depression or pocket formed, and from the bottom of this a second Vand smaller, blow-offv pipe 27 is placed having a valve 28. Directly below the revolving wings, we place, within the tank, and extending transversely thereto, a central partition 29, the purpose of which is to prevent the body of brine from acquiring a whirling motion. Said partition extends from just below the revolving wings to just left below the partition over the false bot- LAtorn to enable the peas which reach that point on the higher side to passon through to the lower side on their way to the long elevator.

cross timbers 32. At one end this shaft bears a pulley 33, the hub of which has a clutch face 34 which is adapted to engage with a corresponding face on a clutch member 35 secured on the shaft. AV shifting lever 33 is provided to throw pulley 33 into and out of engagement. The driving belt B (from an appropriate source of VNear the upper end of shaft 41, but slightly below the upper Vedge of the tank, we secure radial armsY which extend nearly to the inner peripheral wallpof the'tank, which arms are composed of suitable bars 44 carrying perforate blades or wings which extendY to below the surface ofthe brine in the tank;

and, as shaft 41 is revolved, serve to Vdrive .Y

aroundin front of them', whatever peas are floating upon the surface of the ,-b'rine. These blades, as shown in Figs. 3, 4,11 and 12,l 'are preferably formed in sectionsyand the separate sections are pivotally attached to the arms. In detail, the blade sections consist of frames 45 having perforate bodies 46.*(preferably of screen wire) and the upper edges of the frames have attached thereto .pivots 47, which are preferably screw thread- .ed and provided With wing-nuts 48'in order that the blades may be positioned'as desired. v

The series of blades on a single arm may all be controlled, if desired, by a single rody 49` `extending substantially lparallel Y withy the arm44. -We have shown as a means of con-A nection between this rod and the several blades a slidable coupling 49 engaging with rod 49 mymeans of ai clamp screw Vs'. By

Vthis means, not Vonly may the parts'be v easily l connected together, but the `couplings 49 and rod 49 Vmay be so adjusted in relation r to each other Vas to Vcause the various blades or wings lto set at varying angles if de- (seeespecially F ig. 3) shown the outer end of arm'44 with a lreverse curve, thus bringing the endv of the blade more'squarely against the goods in operation 'at this point.

Thev brine will of course to a largev extent Y powerf-not shown) runs to this pulley 33 and drives the blades, whilethe peas will be forced Yalong lin front thereof. The peas will however escape from one set of blades tothe space behind 4it `(through the openings left'be` Y tween the several blades) in the arrange- At the top of the tank 21 is a shaft 31` mounted in appropriate bearings ca rried by ment shown; andthis, will enable us to cause-thepeas to moveA as slowly as desired from the center toward the circumference of the tank.V If the blades were made con, tinuous, it would of course drivethe peas produce exactly the results sought. vThen the f,

peas have finallyl lreached the position at the outer ends of the arms close to thej'periph-i eral wall of the tank, they will escape therefrom and pass through an opening formed in said peripheral wallnear its upper edge just in front of the short'V elevator. The

momentum which. they have vacquired willi causelthem tofloat over the buckets of said elevator, by which they will be caught and thence conveyed awayo'ut of the tank.V

Onthe opposite end of shaft31 from pul- 'A ley 33 is a sprocket wheel 36, from which a sprocket chain 37 runs to a sprocket wheel 38 on Ythe end ofthe main elevator shaft, whereby said' shaft and the elevators are.

Thismain elevator shaft *51 isv v,mounted in suitable bearings carried by frame 52 and bears four sprocket-,wheels V53, l

driven.

54, 55 and 53.Y A secondshaft l57 arranged parallel with-shaft 51 bears, four other cor- A` short shaft' 62;, positioned ashort dis tance below the` surfaceof thebrine in the vresponding sprocket ,wheels 58, v59, and 61. To this extent,the two elevators are uniform.

los

tankfand there carriedby` suitable bearings, j

c'arriestwo other sprocketfwhe'els`63fand 64 'j for Vthe bottoni` ofthe short elevator. `Another; short shaft carries still two other:

sprocketfwheels -and 67 over which the chains of the short elevator' run, and which Y arel soarrangedas to provide' the necessary Vreturn from extreme position. The twoY boxes 68 and69 to this'last` mentioned vshaftare adjustable, and thusserve as'tmeansf to adjust the Atension Vof. the short' elevatori chains. Chains 71 and 72 of this shortv elevator run over they sprocket wheels de-` *Y scribed, vand'fcarry the elevating buckets 73, which buckets arecomposed' ofperforated lio j 1'15 120' Vor reticulated material",- as shown,Y and which receive and elevatefthe peasiwhich are delivered in proper relation thereto bythe op`- eration of the revolvingwings or blades in i. ptached to the `chains by vmeans ofpivots p the tank. These elevating buckets are at-V formed on appropriate links vof Vthe chains and whichenter corresponding vperforations in arms`75 on said buckets. crank-arms'in formV (as best shown 1n Fig.

The arms 75 arel 4) and, at their opposite ends, vwhere they are attached to the buckets, pass between the sides of guiding tracks, and are thus caused to travel in the required direction as will now be described. l j

The guiding tracks are each composed of tw-o continuous bars 81 and 82, between which the necks of the crank-arms pass, and said guiding tracks are so arranged in relation to the chains as to hold the elevating buckets in upright position while elevating, and also while passing along transversely at the top of the elevator; but, as best shown in Fig. 5, when said buckets reach the outer end of the elevator, near the point where they are to start on the return trip, they begin to turn over, and, by the time that they have reached a position just below the-sprocket wheels 55 and 56, they have turned completely upside down, so as to discharge their contents into whatever receptacle is provided for the purpose below them at that point. By this peculiar arrangement in attaching the buckets to the traveling sprocket chains and controlling their movement by means of the peculiarly formed guiding track, we are enabled to secure the verv desirable result of absolutely controlling the position of the buckets throughout the entire distance, thus securing that they shall bein upright position during the portion of the travel when that is desired, and shall reverse the position, and thus fully and completely discharge their contents, at the precise point desired. There is another advantage incident to the means which we have shown and described for attaching the buckets to the elevator chains. If the buckets were attached rigidly to the chains, the tendency would be, as the buckets traveled through the brine, to push the goods away from the bucket; while, with the pivoted and crank-arm-guide attachment which we have provided, and the relative positioning ofthe guide tracks, the bucket is always so positioned and guided asto dip under and skim up the goods ethciently. That is, when the bucket is advancing toward the goods, its open upper side or mouth is so presented as to cause the goods to enter it easily.

The long elevator is theV same in construction and arrangement as the short elevator, it` simply being of greater length. so that it extends to the bottom of the tank and into the pocket there provided in order to receive and elevate the harder peas which have sunk through the brine. The shafts 51 and 57 serve for both elevators, and the sprocket wheels thereon have already been enumerated. At the bottom of the long elevator is a shaft 91 (corresponding to shaft G2 of the short elevator) 'bearing sprockets 92 and 93; and near the top (substantially in line with shaft 65, and corresponding therewith) is another short shaft 94 bearing sprockets 95 and 96. The elevating chains and buckets which run over these various sprocket wheels, and the guiding tracks by which the position of the buckets is controlled are identical, except in length, with those of the short elevator, and, therefore, will not be further described. The 'bearings 97 and 98 for the lower short shaft 91 are, however, mounted upon detachable supporting frames which, upon occasion, may be raised to the top of or out of the tank, for purposes of renewal, adjustment or repair of any of the submerged elevator parts without the necessity of drawing oft1 the liquid contents of the tank. These detachable supporting frames are illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. As best illustrated in Fig. 9, there are two of these frames, one uponv each side of the elevatorshaft or space. These frames consist of distance bars 101 extending from the top of the tank to near the bottom, upon the lower ends of which the boxes or bearings 97 and 98 are secured. At the upper portion of the tank, and at the top of the bar 101,y (which is shown as an angle iron) is a U- shaped bar 102 connected by means of bolts 103 to the adjacent wall of the tank. Struts 104 extend out from the bar 102 and carry the adjacent portions of the guiding tracks 181 and 182 (corresponding to the bars 81 and 82 of the short elevator hereinbefore described) at that point. Near the lower end of bar 101 is another U-shaped bar 105,

which carries struts 106, to the projecting ends of which the guiding tracks 181 and 182 are also secured. `The U-shaped bar 105, instead of being bolted to the wall of the tank, rests in brackets 107 secured to the wall of the tank. As shown, the upper sides of these brackets are open, so that when the structure is unfastened at the top, it may be lifted out free from said brackets without difficulty. rihe guiding tracks 181 and 182 are shown as separable just above. the top edge of the tank, where coupling plates 111 and 112 are shown as secured thereto by means of bolts 113 and 114. As is obvious, in order to separate these guiding tracks at this point, it is only necessary to loosen the bolts and remove the coupling plates, as is best shown in Figs. 10 and 11. Making this part of the apparatus removable and replaceable is of considerable advantage'in case of any disarrangenient or breakage of the submerged elevator mechanism, Vas thereby we are enabled to perform the work of readjustment or repair without discharging and consequently losing the brine or grading liquid.

The operation of this apparatus may be recapitulated as follows: The peas (or other articles to be graded) are introduced into the tank, preferably at about the point markedilOOY in Fig. 3. The tankhas pre,-A

viously been filled with a fluid (commonly brine) of a specific gravity intermediate that ofY theY articles to be. separated lor graded. That is, thespecific gravity of the brine isl greater than that ofthe lighter articles, but less than that of the heavier articles. Upon being introduced intothe tank, the heavier articles Awill sink. (either quickly or slowly according to whether the dierences between the specificgravities is great or small), while vthe articles Y,which are ofless specific gravity than the fluid willV float thereon.

The perforated blades*V or wings, slowly revolving through the upper portion of the fluid contents` yofthe tank,

will push the floating articles before them,

tank are substantially tangential.A That is,l

` struction, and in convenience.

until they are finally delivered 'through lthe upper opening in` the peripheral wall Vof the tankto a point adjacent to theV short elevator, whence they will be taken by said short elevator and carried away and delivered into such receptacle as may be provided for the purpose. T hose articles which sink will slide or roll down the inclined false bottom of the tank, and finally reach positionat the bottoni of the long elevator, whence they will be carried by said elevator in 'a similar manner as the .lighter 30 articles, and delivered, separately, into such Vreceptacle asV may be provided therefor.

lt will be noticed that the openings inthe peripheral wallv of thefupright 'cylindrical theupper opening through which the articles which floatpass to the shorter elevator is tangential vto the Vupper portion` of the tank, while the opening through which the articles which sink pass to thelonger `ele-. vator is'substantially tangential to the lower portion of the tank. ,By this arrangement,

we are enabled tol'place the two elevators side by side, which is a matter of considerable advantage, both in'econ'oiny of con- As will be obvious, however, one of these elevators i ight be arranged tangentialY of the tank Von one side, and the -other onl the other, withoutdeparting from our invention.

` Having thus fully described our said invention, what we claim as new, anddesire toY secure by Letters Patent,'is, :Y

' l. The combination, in a specific gravity grading apparatus, of a verticallyfpositioned cylindrical tank Vcontaining ythe grading fluid provided with dischargeopenings in its peripheral wall, an adjacent inclosure within which Lelevators may be placed, means for delivering the articles 4to besepa` rated through said openings, and elevators Varranged adjacent to said openingsto ref' n ceive and elevate theseparated articles.

2. The conibinatiomin a specific gravity grading apparatus, of a tank containing the gradingv fluid provided with upperj-and` lowerdischarge openings in its 'peripheral wall,;1neans consisting of a vertical shaft 'provided with wings for deliveringgthelartif cles to be separatedwhich float tothe upper of elevators extend, means forA delivering i the articles to be separated through said dis- Y 'charge openings, and elevators the lower ends whereofarerarranged adjacent to said discharge openings to Vreceive'and elevateV Ythe separatedarticles. f w

4. The combination, in va specific gravity grading apparatus, of atank containing the grading fluid, elevators associated there-- with, means consisting of a vertical shaft `provided with wings for delivering'theV articles tobe separatedtof one of said elevators', and other means consisting of an inclinedV false bottom of the tank for deliveringthe articles which sink to the otherl elevator.

5. The combination, in a" specific gravity grading '.apparatus, of` a verticallyfpositioned cylindrical tank containing the grading fluid and provided with discharge openings in its peripheralwall, `means consisting delivering the articles` to beseparated which means fordelivering the articles which sink tothe other dischargeopening,` apartition ico ofavertical shaft provided withwings forA Y float to the upper dischargeopening. other extending transversely ofthe tank below' the revolving wings for retarding the curl rent whichmi'ght otherwise be` caused bv said wings, and elevators associatedwwith said tank arranged to-Krec'eive andelevate the separatedarticles. l l

6. The combination, ina specific gravity grading' apparatus, cfaYV vertically-insitioned-cylindricaltank containing the grading fluid, a central shaft arranged verticallytherein,,wingsarried by said shaft forinovi ing the floating articles, an inclinedbottoni for-guiding the articles which sink to a predetermined point, and twoV elevatorsA asf sociated :with said'taiilnoneleading from the pointfto which "the floating articles are delivered lOV Jhewingsand the otheplead,

ing-from the point torwhich the'lsinkingarticles are delivered by the inclinedbottom.

7. The combination, in arspecific gravity grading apparatus, of a tank, a centraldverti'calshaft therein, Varms'. on said shaft, and

wings carried by said arinsifor moving the floating articles, lsaid wings being-adjust- 80 'Y centinclosure into whichrthe lower ends able to vary the positions thereof, whereby the delivery of the floating articles may be adjustably controlled.

8. The combination, in a specific gravity grading apparatus, of a tank, a central vertical shaft therein, arms on said shaft, wings formed in sections with each section adjustably mounted Aon an arm, and means for adjusting said wings.

9. The combination, in a specilic gravity grading apparatus, of a tank, a central vertical shaft therein, arms on said shaft, wings formed in sections with'each section adjustably mounted on an arm, and means for adjusting said wings, said means including devices whereby the adjustment may be etected either individually or collectively.

l0. The combination, in a specilic gravity grading apparatus, of a tank, a central vertical shaft therein, arms on said shaft, wings formed in sections with each section adjustably mounted on an arm, means for adjusting said wings, and a shifting rod adjustably connected to said wings whereby they may be adjusted simultaneously.

l1. The combination, in a specific gravity grading apparatus, of a tank, a central vertical shaft therein, arms on said shaft, wings formed in sections with each section adjustably mounted on an arm, means for adjusting said wings, and a shifting rod adjustably connected to said wings whereby they may be adjusted simultaneously, the connections between the wings and the shifting rod being also adjustable whereby variations between the respective wings as well as adjustability of position may be attained.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents l2. The combination, in a specific gravity grading apparatus, of a tank, means for separating the articles to be graded therein, 4.o elevators associated with said tank for receiving the several grades of separated articles, the lower section of that elevator which extends tonear the bottom of the tank being separable and removable, whereby access may be had thereto for purposes of readjustment or repair without discharging the liquid from the tank.

13. The combination, in a speciiic gravity grading apparatus, of a vertically positioned cylindrical tank containing the grading fluid and provided with discharge openings in its peripheral wall, means for delivering the separated articles through said openings, elevators arranged beyond said openings to receive and elevate the separated articles, one of said elevators extending to just below the surface of the grading fluid and another extending to near the bottom of the tank, the frame structure of the latter elevator being separable at a point above the level of the grading iuid, whereby the lower portion be removed without discharging said grading fluid.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals at indianapolis, lndiana, this twenty-third day or' March, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and nine.

nnunsfr n. Hoon. [n a] wrLLraM J. CAMPBELL. rL. sj onnsrnr. Baanronn. [La] Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. Hoon, THOMAS W. MCMEANS.

each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

